Workshops, Symposia, Meetings of Experts,
and Other Special Projects
In 2011, the Space Studies Board printed one workshop report, convened one workshop, and was forming a planning committee for a workshop on decadal surveys lessons learned that is expected to take place in 2012.
THE EFFECTS OF SOLAR VARIABILITY ON EARTH’S CLIMATE
The organizing committee for The Effects of Solar Variability on Earth’s Climate: A Workshop was gathered for a planning meeting on April 25 to be briefed by the workshop’s sponsors, NASA and the National Science Foundation, and to hear updates on current research in solar physics, climate, and the Sun-climate connection. The workshop, held on September 8-9 in Boulder, Colorado, was open to the public and about 50 scientists attended the event each day. Sessions included “The Sun—Past and Present” and “The Sun-Climate Connection, Parts 1 and 2.”
The summary report of the workshop will be available in Spring 2012.
Planning Committee Membership*
Gerald R. North, Texas A&M University, College Station (chair)
Daniel N. Baker, University of Colorado, Boulder
Raymond S. Bradley, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Peter Foukal, Heliophysics, Inc.
Joanna D. Haigh, Imperial College London
Isaac M. Held, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Gerald A. Meehl, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Larry J. Paxton, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
Peter A. Pilewskie, University of Colorado, Boulder
Carolus J. Schrijver, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center
Ka-Kit Tung, University of Washington
Staff
Abigail A. Sheffer, Associate Program Officer, SSB (study director)
Amanda R. Thibault, Research Associate, ASEB
Terri Baker, Senior Program Assistant, SSB
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*All terms expired on December 31, 2011.
The importance of conveying an understanding and appreciation for the “grand questions” of space science and exploration that motivate the majority of NASA’s programs, such as, How is the universe evolving? Are we alone? Will the Earth remain a hospitable home for humanity in the future? What could the future hold for humans in space?, was the topic of the workshop held on November 8-10, 2010, at the National Academies’ Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, California. The workshop, organized by an ad hoc planning committee and held under the auspices of the Space Studies Board, involved prominent space scientists and communications professionals and attracted an audience of more than 160. A report on the discussions that took place, Sharing the Adventure with the Public—The Value and Excitement of “Grand Questions” of Space Science and Exploration: Summary of a Workshop, was released in November 2011. The Workshop Overview is reprinted in Chapter 5.
Workshop Rapporteur
Marcia Smith, Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC
Staff
Ian W. Pryke, Senior Program Officer, SSB
Lewis Groswald, Research Associate, SSB
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Administrative Coordinator, SSB
Gabriel Betancourt-Martinez, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern
Bruno Sánchez-Andrade Nuño, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern
